guttentag writes: On Monday, Microsoft plans to announce a service called Xbox Music that will offer access to a global catalog of about 30 million songs. The service will let consumers listen free to any song on computers and tablets running the latest version of its Windows software, as well as on the Xbox console. Microsoft will not initially limit how much music can be streamed, though that could change over time.

The service is part of a broad set of bets Microsoft is making this fall to help regain ground it has lost to competitors Apple, Google, Amazon, Pandora and Spotify. In addition to Windows 8, which will start shipping Oct. 26, the company is close to releasing a new version of its Windows Phone operating system and the tablet device called Surface.Link to Original Source